Box construction



Aug. 22, 1967 B. L. THURSTON BOX CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 16, 1964 I l/ l[7220622 ion fielzjamz'ie L. Thurston, @5 p M W 77/ Am 5.

United States Patent 3,337,112 BOX CONSTRUCTION Benjamin L. Thurston,Lincoln, R.I., assignor to Frost Box Co., Inc, Pawtucket, R.I., acorporation of Rhode Island Filed Nov. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 411,271 7Claims. (Cl. 229-14) The present invention relates to a boxconstruction. More particularly, the present invention relates to a 'boxconstruction having hinged box sections formed of a cardboard materialor the like and in which reinforcing members are provided.

The box construction of the present invention is designed for thepackaging and display of small articles such as costume jewelry and thelike, and thus is necessarily formed of inexpensive materials such ascardboard. Be cause cardboard boxes are not structurally stable, prolems have been experienced heretofore in the manufacture of such boxesso as to provide suflicient rigidity to withstand normal handling. Priorto the instant invention, some efforts have been made to fabricatecardboard boxes with reinforcing means, but these prior constructionshave not found favor in the trade since they were difficult to assembleand accordingly increased the cost of the box.

The present invention is designed to avoid the attendant Hce Referringnow to the drawing, and particularly to FIG. 1, the box constructionembodied herein is generally indicated at 10 and includes a bottomsection generally indicated at 12 and a top section generally indicatedat 14. The box construction 10 has particular application as a packageand display box for small articles such as jewelry or the like. However,it is understood that the box construction 10 may be utilized forvarious other purposes as required. Although not illustrated in FIG. 1,the box construction will normally include an outer decorative layer ofcloth or paper material and may be applied in any well known manner.

As further shown in FIG. 1, the bottom section 12 is hingedly connectedto the top section 14 by hinge assem 'blies 16, the hinge assemblies 16being conventional in construction and being attached to the rear wallof each section in any well known manner. It is further understood thatcorner hinges such as illustrated in Patent No. 3,100,073 may beemployed with the box construction of the present invention.

Reference will now be made to the construction and assembly of thebottom section 12, it being understood that the top section 14 isidentically formed. As shown more clearly in FIG. 2, the bottom section12 includes an outer shell generally indicated at 18 that is defined bya bottom wall 20, a front wall 22, side walls 24 and 26,

difficulties experienced in the fabrication of cardboard boxes knownheretofore and provides a box construction that is essentially formed ofcardboard materials, but that includes a unique reinforcing structurethat provides for a rigid and stable assembly. Basically, the presentinvention includes hinged box sections that are formed of conventionalmaterials. In each of the box sections an insert tray is positioned, theinsert tray having an upstanding lip joined thereto. The lip of eachinsert tray is located in engagement with a rear wall of a box sectionand each tray is dimensioned so as to define less than the full area ofthe bottom wall of the section in which it is located. Recesses are thusdefined along the sides and front of the box sections and reinforcingstrips are positioned in these recesses and cooperate with the inserttrays to produce a stable and rigid box assembly.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide arelatively inexpensive box construction that is essentially formed ofcardboard materials or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a box construction thatincludes hingedly connected top and bottom sections, both of which arereinforced with insert trays to produce a rigid and stable box assembly.

Still another object is to provide a box section for a box constructionthat includes an outer shell in which an insert tray is located, theinsert tray being foreshortened longitudinally and laterally withrespect to the outer shell so as to provide recesses in whichreinforcing strips are located.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered inconnection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplatedfor carrying out the present invention:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the box construction embodied in thepresent invention showing the open position of the box sections and thehinged connection thereof;

FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view of one of the box sectionsillustrating the components that define the box section;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3-3 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional View taken along lines 44 in FIG. 3.

and a rear wall 28. The front wall 22, side walls 24 and 26, and therear wall 2'8 are all joined to the bottom wall 20 and to each other inany conventional manner. As further illustrated in FIG. 2 the verticaldimension of the rear wall 28 is foreshortened with respect to the sideWalls 24 and 26 so as to provide for opening of the top and bottomsections 12 and 14 without the binding thereof when the sections arelocated in hinged relation, as illustrated in FIG. 1.

Located within the outer shell 18 is an insert or tray generallyindicated at 30 that includes a flat bottom plate 32 to which anupstanding rear lip 34 is attached. When the tray 30 is disposed in theassembled position thereof within the outer shell 18, it is located suchthat the marginal side edges thereof are spaced from the side walls 24and 26, and the front marginal edge thereof is spaced from the frontwall 22 of the outer shell. The li 34 in the assembled position of thetray 30 is located in flush engagement with the rear wall 28. Thevertical dimension of the lip 34 is substantially the same as that ofthe rear wall 28 so that the uppermost edges of the lip 34 and the rearwall 28 of the shell 18 are substantially coextensive.

Since the tray 30 occupies less than the full area defined by the bottomwall 20 of the outer shell 18, side recesses 36 and 38 are defined bythe lateral edges of the bottom plate 32 and the adjacent inner surfacesof the sidewalls 24 and 26 of the outer shell 18. A similar recess 40 isdefined by the longitudinal marginal front edge of the plate 32 of thetray 30 and the opposing surface of the front wall 22 of the shell 18.The recesses 36 and 38 are shown more clearly in FIG. 3 while the recess40 is illustrated in FIG. 4.

In order to further reinforce the outer shell 18, a plurality ofreinforcing strips are provided and as illustrated in FIG. 2 are definedby a front longitudinal strip 42 and side lateral strips 44 and 46. Thereinforcing strips 42, 44 and 46 are preferably formed of wood althoughother materials may be utilized without departing from the spirit of theinvention. As illustrated in FIGS, 3 and 4, the recesses 36, 38 and 40are dimensioned to accommodate the reinforcing strips 42, 44 and 46respectively in snug fitting relation. Thus the recess 36 receives thereinforcing strip 44 therein while the recess 38 receives thereinforcing strip 46 therein. The longitudinally ex tending recess 40receives the longitudinal strip 42 therein and as shown in FIG. 1, thereinforcing strips are so interrelated with the tray 30 as to define arelatively rigid construction therewith and the outer shell 18 in whichthey are located. More particularly, the longitudinally extendingreinforcing strip 42 extends the full length of the outer shell 18 andabuts the inner surfaces of the side Walls 24 and 26. The laterallyextending strips 44 and 46 engage the longitudinal strip 42 at one endthereof and engage the inner surface of the rear wall 28 at the otherend thereof. The lateral strips 44 and 46 are thus captured between thelongitudinal strip 42 and the rear wall 28 and since they are located intheir respective recesses 44 and 46 they are retained in relativelytight fitting relation. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the upper edges ofthe reinforcing strips 42, 44 and 46 are substantially coextensive withthe upper edges of the front wall 42 and side walls 44 and 46,respectively, a uniform assembly thereby being produced.

As previously described, the hinge assemblies 16 are interconnected tothe rear walls 28 of both the top and bottom sections 12 and 14 andthereby hingedly join the top and bottom sections in the well knownmanner. The lip 34 of the tray 30 is adapted to abut the hingeassemblies 16 and thus act to essentially conceal the hinge assemblies,except for the hinge knuckles and pins thereof.

In the assembly of the box construction 10, the bottom and top sections12 and 14 are adapted to be assembled independently, with the outershell 18 of each section being first formed and the reinforcing tray 30and strips 42, 44 and 46 then being inserted within the outer shell.Prior to the assembly of the reinforcing strips and tray within each ofthe sections, the sections may be first hingedly connected together inthe :manner as illustrated in FIG. 1. After the reinforcing strips andtray 30 are assembled in each of these sections, an outer decorativelayer of any suitable material, such as ornamental cloth or paper, maybe glued or otherwise applied to the surface of the top and bottomsections. It is also understood that after the assembly of the top andbottom sections and the insert trays and strips therein, interior puffsmay be placed therein for completing the ornamental appearance thereof.

As previously described, the vertical dimension of the reinforcingstrips 42, 44 and 46 are essentially the same as that of the front wall22 and side walls 24, .26 of the outer shell 18, and therefore the topedges of the reinforcing strips and these walls are substantiallycoextensive. The box section thus has the general appearance of theconventional box assembly, and with the decorative layer applied theretoappears to be of any general construction. However, by applying thereinforcing tray 30 and the reinforcing strips 42, 44 and 46 within theouter shell 18 of each of the box sections, a relatively rigid andstable construction is produced that effectively resists normal wear andhandling.

While there is shown and described herein certain specific structureembodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the artthat various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventiveconcept, and that the same is not limited to the particular forms shownand described, except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a box construction, a top section, a bottom section hingedlyconnected to said top section, said top and bottom sections eachincluding an outer shell defined by a bottom wall, and a front wall,rear wall and side walls joined to said bottom wall to define an opentop enclosure therewith, a reinforcing insert tray located within eachof said shells, each of said trays including a flat wall that is locatedin surface to surface relation with the bottom wall of the shell inwhich the tray is positioned and a lip joined to said flat wall along alongitudinally extending peripheral edge thereof and being located inengagement with the rear wall of the section in which the tray islocated, each of said trays being foreshortened with respect to thefront and side walls of the section in which it is located to form sideand front recesses, and reinforcing strips located in said recesses andcooperating with said tray to produce a rigid and stable assembly.

2. In a box construction, a top section, a bottom section hingedlyconnected to said top section, at least one of said sections includingan outer shell defined by a bottom wall, and a front wall, a rear walland side walls joined to said bottom wall, a reinforcing tray locatedwithin said outer shell and including a fiat wall that is located on thebottom wall of said shell and a lip joined to said fiat wall and thatengages the rear wall of said shell, said tray occupying less than thefull area of said bottom wall to form a front recess with said frontwall and side recesses with said side walls, and reinforcing stripslocated in said recesses in flush engagement with the side and frontwalls of said outer shell and cooperating with said tray to produce arigid and stable assembly.

3. In a box construction, a first section, a second section hingedlyconnected to said first section, at least one of said sections includingan outer shell in which a tray is located, said tray including a bottomwall and a lip joined to said bottom wall and engaging a wall of saidouter shell, said tray occupying less than the full area of the bottomof said shell to define a plurality of recesses with the other walls ofsaid outer shell, and a reinforcing strip located in each of saidrecesses and cooperating with said tray to reinforce said outer shell.

4. In a box construction, a first section, a second section hingedlyconnected to said first section, at least one of said sections includingan outer shell, a reinforcing insert located in said outer shell, and aplurality of reinforcing strips located in said outer shell andcooperating with said insert to reinforce said outer shell, said outershell including a bottom wall and a front wall, a rear wall and sidewalls joined to said bottom wall, the vertical dimension of saidreinforcing strips being substantially equal to the vertical dimensionof said front and side walls, said insert including a flat wall to whicha lip is joined along a longitudinal edge thereof.

5. In a box construction as set forth in claim 4, said lip engaging aWall of said outer shell and said insert occupying less than the fulllateral and longitudinal dimension of said outer shell to definerecesses therewith, and a reinforcing strip located in each of saidrecesses.

6. In a box construction as set forth in claim 4, said lip and the wallit engages being foreshortened vertically with respect to the adjacentwalls of said shell and the adjacent reinforcing strips so that saidsection in which the insert and strips are located may have free hingingmovement with respect to the section to which it is hingedly connected.

7. In a box construction, a first section, a second section hingedlyconnected to said first section, at least one of said sections includingan outer shell, a reinforcing insert located in said outer shell andincluding a flat wall to which a lip is joined along an edge thereof andengaging a wall of the shell in which the insert is located, and aplurality of reinforcing strips positioned in said outer shell andengaging the other walls thereof and cooperating with said insert toreinforce said outer shell.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,268,163 6/1918 Schneider 220-65X 1,851,746 3/1932 Wetherell 206-75 2,380,052 7/1945 Koller 20675 X2,867,371 1/1959 Nyden 229-44 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

D. F. NORTON, Assistant Examiner.

7. IN A BOX CONSTRUCTION, A FIRST SECTION, A SECOND SECTION HINGEDLYCONNECTED TO SAID FIRST SECTION, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SECTIONS INCLUDINGAN OUTER SHELL, A REINFORCING INSERT LOCATED IN SAID OUTER SHELL ANDINCLUDING A FLAT WALL TO WHICH A LIP IS JOINED ALONG AN EDGE THEREOF ANDENGAGING A WALL OF THE SHELL IN WHICH THE INSERT IS LOCATED, AND APLURALITY OF REINFORCING STRIPS POSITIONED IN SAID OUTER SHELL ANDENGAGING THE OTHER WALLS THEREOF AND COOPERATING WITH SAID INSERT TOREINFORCE SAID OUTER SHELL.